Santa Barbara Brain Injury Lawyer

Written by: Chad M. Prentice

The brain is arguably the most important organ in the human body. In addition to allowing you to process thought, it controls all of the body’s functions, including digestion, touch, sensory intake, and more. If you’ve suffered a head injury, there’s a possibility that you may have also sustained brain trauma. This is a common outcome in many different types of accidents, and brain injury cases are entirely actionable.

At Maho | Prentice, LLC, our personal injury attorneys recognize how head injuries can adversely affect the lives of our clients. If you believe you’ve suffered a brain injury, contact Maho | Prentice for a free case evaluation.  

Accidents Causing Brain Injuries 

Traumatic brain injuries can result from many different types of accidents, but there’s usually an impact to the head involved. Here are some of the most common types of brain injuries that personal injury law firms see in the course of their business. 

Car Accidents 

According to the CDC, motor vehicle collisions are among the top three most common causes of non-fatal traumatic brain injuries. Head injuries are common for both drivers and passengers in car accidents as the sudden change of speeds leads to heads impacting seats, windshields, windows, steering wheels, and more. Motorcycle crashes are particularly dangerous since these vehicles offer little protection to the rider. 

Falls

Falling is another common cause of brain injuries. Even if the head is not the first point of impact, fall accident victims often impact their heads on the way down. 

Struck With a Blunt Object

Falling items, flying objects, and even opening or closing doors can impact the head and cause a brain injury. 

Assaults

Physical attacks often lead to head trauma, either resulting directly from fists or feet or as a result of being knocked to the ground. 

Sports 

TBIs can result from a flying baseball or hockey puck or physical contact with other competitors, as you would find in MMA, boxing, football, etc.

Signs and Symptoms of Brain Injuries

According to the Mayo Clinic, a traumatic brain injury may lead to all or some of the following symptoms:

• Headache
• Nausea
• Fatigue
• Speech issues
• Dizziness 
• Blurred vision
• Ear ringing
• Altered sense of taste and smell
• Sensitivity to light
• Sensitivity to sound
• Loss of consciousness
• Disorientation
• Lack of concentration
• Memory loss
• Mood swings
• Depression
• Difficulty sleeping or waking up
• Seizures 
• Numbness in the extremities
• Agitation
• Slurred Speech
• Elevated blood pressure

If you notice any of these conditions following a car accident, a fall, or some other impact on the head, you may have a traumatic brain injury. Seek medical attention immediately. These conditions can increase in severity without treatment. If your injury resulted from negligence, contact a personal injury lawyer. In Santa Barbara, CA, seek the advice of the traumatic brain injury attorneys at Maho | Prentice, LLC.

Types of Brain Injuries 

Medical experts classify traumatic brain injury (TBI) in the following categories:

Closed Head Injuries 

These are caused without penetration to the skull. Closed head injuries are often the result of the head moving rapidly backward and forward, like in a car accident. The brain moves around inside the skull. Shaken baby syndrome is also a type of closed head injury that occurs when an individual shakes a baby causing brain damage. 

Open Head Injuries 

Also referred to as a penetrating injury, an open head injury occurs when an object penetrates the skull, or the skull is broken open. With many penetrating head injuries, the object lodges in the nerve tissue of the brain. 

How Doctors Diagnose Traumatic Brain Injuries

If you suspect that you have a brain injury, it’s essential to get a proper diagnosis. There are several ways to diagnose a TBI, and doctors may have to complete one or more of these tests before an insurance company acknowledges your condition:

Neurological Evaluation

A neurologist will test your sensory functions, memory, thought processes, and motor skills. 

CT or MRI Tests

Doctors will order these tests to determine whether or not there is bleeding on the brain, ruptured blood vessels, or swelling. 

BTI

BTI stands for the Banyan Brain Trauma Indicator, and it looks for protein levels that would indicate a traumatic brain injury or concussion. 

Brain injury victims must establish the extent of their wounds to recover full compensation. If you have experienced some sort of traumatic event that you believe resulted in a TBI, seek medical attention immediately. 

How a Brain Injury Attorney Can Help

If you are experiencing the side effects of a TBI, you may be looking at thousands of dollars in medical expenses just to get a proper diagnosis. That’s before you have to pay for treatments or surgery. In addition, you will probably experience lost income from missing work. An attorney can help you recover full compensation for all of these expenses and will also help you recover general damages for pain and suffering, lost capacity, and more. 

A Santa Barbara Brain injury lawyer from Maho | Prentice, LLC will review your medical documentation, depose accident witnesses, gather statements from doctors and other medical experts, and negotiate with the insurance company. Maho | Prentice, LLC will take your case on a contingency basis, which means you never have to pay out of pocket for our professional legal services. We only get paid if you accept a settlement or win in court. Call us today if you have suffered a brain injury in or around the Santa Barbara area. 

Frequently Asked Questions About Brain Injuries

The following are some of the most frequently asked questions that our Santa Barbara personal injury lawyers hear from TBI clients. For answers to your questions, call today to speak to an attorney. 

What is my brain injury case worth?

Without knowing the specifics of your case, it’s impossible to determine how much compensation you would be entitled to. TBI settlements range from thousands of dollars to millions. 

What is a coup-contrecoup injury?

This specific type of traumatic brain injury is caused by an external force striking the head with enough force to cause the brain to impact both sides of the inner wall of the skull. The brain bounces off one side of the skull, then bounces back and hits the other. 

What is a diffuse axonal injury?

DAI is a severe type of TBI in which the long, connecting axonals (nerve fibers of the brain) are torn. The brain then shifts and rotates. 

Does there have to be head trauma to cause a traumatic brain injury?

While TBIs usually result from trauma to the head, you can sustain one without a head impact. For instance, shaken baby syndrome results from moving the head rapidly back and forth. Similar injuries can occur in adults. 

Contact Maho | Prentice to speak to a Santa Barbara TBI attorney and ask questions specific to your case.

Traumatic Brain Injury Attorneys Serving Santa Barbara 

For years, the Santa Barbara Brain Injury lawyers of Maho | Prentice, LLC have helped our clients recover full compensation for accidents leading to brain injuries. Don’t accept an insurance settlement without first speaking to one of our top-tier personal injury lawyers. Call today for immediate representation for your case. All consultations are free.